Rekindling a Dim Glow
by DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns
Summary: Sora's not feeling the holly, jolly warmth of the holidays. That may change with some help. Modern/High School!AU with some little references here or there.


Note: Written for Candasaurus for the Kingdom Hearts Gift Exchange!

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Sora was looking out the window and watching the snow as it hit the stony ground. To the brunette's knowledge, Twilight Town wasn't known for its snow, so the view was a marvel to admire. The street lamps created a blue glow in the night that complemented the white, thick snow; It was perfect for the occasion of a holiday get-together/slumber party.

If only Sora actually felt up to feeling a similar glow.

"Tryna print your face on the glass?" came an amused voice.

The brunette looked at the reflection in the window behind him and half-grinned before looking towards the silver-haired figure making the reflection.

Sora chortled. "What's that supposed to mean, Riku?" he asked as he raised his brow.

Riku was leaning against the entryway with his arms folded over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankles. He sported an amused expression on his face as he looked at Sora.

"You were staring mighty hard through the window glass," Riku drawled. "Just a little bit longer and the reflection of your face would stick like stained window art."

Sora pouted and scratched the back of his head. "It would _ not_."

"It definitely would." Riku jerked his head in the direction of the hallway. "Come on, Shorty, we've got things to do before everyone gets here."

With a grimace, Sora followed behind his friend. He grumbled to himself regarding the nickname. He was not short anymore; he was nearly Riku's height! It wasn't his fault that he couldn't fit the mascot costume. What kind of mascot is a Goofy anyway?

He sighed, knowing that his thoughts were trying to move in any gear to distract himself. This was the second year without his parents, two years since moving to Twilight Town.

His uncle Leon offered him the spare room in his home, and he treated him like a son. The only thing his uncle couldn't do was take away the fact that Sora was there because his parents weren't. The harsh reminder just so happened to be on Christmas Day; their rush to get back to him with the specific gifts he asked for wasn't the ideal move with a December hurricane rushing the island.

Sora shook his head harshly to rid himself of the memories. He had to be cheerful. He had to be holly and jolly. Except he wasn't.

The move wasn't all bad, though. His childhood friends Riku and Kairi moved to town as well after the wretched storm. It destroyed homes like a wave of wicked darkness. Having them around made things easier.

He'd acquired other friends as well at the high school, and there was enough brightness that surrounded the place that it made for an easy distraction. Until the holidays came around anyway.

This year was different, though. Kairi suggested that they had a slumber party—yes, the guys all whined initially—with games, Christmas movies, and all kinds of snacks. The boys tentatively agreed after the promise of delicious food assortments.

Uncle Leon was kind enough to let the teens—responsively, as he had 'eyes' all over the place for any funny business—use his house for the get-together, and Kairi organized the decorations.

The weekend had arrived faster than Sora anticipated, and his best friends were at his doorstep with Christmas things and wearing onesies.

Riku revealed he sported a tank top and shorts underneath but was indulging Kairi's antics. Sora understood completely. It was hard to tell the redhead no when she was determined to get something done. Sora wasn't sure if it because of the light that twinkled in her eye, the way she oozed confidence yet looked so beautifully innocent, or—

He was wandering in his mind again.

Sora watched Riku placing baubles on the tree with a small frown. He would lift one and then another, eyeing them like they had no choice to hang and glisten like he wanted them to.

Maybe Sora should have told Riku that he had to use the other ends of the hooks. Maybe.

The brunette glanced around, expecting to see another indie moving about, but he didn't. Without hesitation, he went to look for her.

"Kairi," Sora called out once he was in the hallway.

"In the kitchen," he heard her exclaim. "Could you come here, please? There's something I want to show you."

Naturally, Sora responded to her request by following her voice down the hallway and into the kitchen. When it came to Kairi, she was full of ideas, so Sora had no clue what he would see from the sweet girl. What he _ did _ know was that he'd find it great regardless because it was Kairi showing him...whatever it was she was showing him. When he arrived, he found Kairi concentrating on something on the kitchen island. Thick flakes of what Sora hoped was candy or something surrounded the redhead's arms that were leaning against the island.

He cleared his throat, catching the captivating girl's attention. She grinned widely and held her hands out in front of her. Her fingers were holding onto a chain that had yellow stars and crown candies hanging from different loops. The centerpiece was bigger than the others; it resembled one of the fruits that used to grow on the island. It was one of his parents' favorites, the 'heart bonding' fruit they called it because they met gathering them for the food markets.

Sora never thought he'd see something like it again.

"I know it's been two years," Kairi started to say, "and I can see it's still affecting you. So I thought this would be something to help honor your parents and make you feel better about the holidays."

"Kairi, I—"

"You don't have to say anything," she said before a small, cheeky smile formed on her face. "And I'm not telling you where I found this fruit."

She stepped away from the table and closer to Sora, leaning forward to fasten the chain around Sora's neck. The fruit stood out proudly against his scarlet, flannel pajama shirt, and Sora fought back the tears threatening to form.

"Thank you, Kairi," Sora said in a light tone, his eyes moving towards the tiled kitchen floor. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Realizing how that may sound to her, his cheeks flamed and he quickly added. "Or without Riku."

She closed her eyes and giggled, reaching for Sora's hands. When her fingers came in contact with Sora's, he felt the instant jolt throughout his body. The jolt made Sora's head snap back up and meet Kairi's softened expression. He was almost positive that she felt a similar burst of warmth as well; looking in her instantly opened eyes, her pupils dilated at the same time he inhaled sharply.

His lips opened partly while the rapid, heavy beating of his heart pounded through his chest and ears. Sora had made bold decisions before, but the sudden choice that flashed in his mind was scarier than Coach Cyrus when he was in a _ good _ mood. Surely it was the heat of the moment that was causing him to gain a nerve. Kairi was his friend! She never made any indication before that she could be interested in something more, and he had done a good job over the years suppressing any romantic attraction to the redhead. What was so different about this moment?

He watched her smile, and the weight of her hands intertwined with his let him know that she didn't plan on letting go.

'_Y__ou're_ _not a kid anymore, Sora. Just kiss her and unleash your melodies of love you've held back for so long!_'

His mind was truly the worst right now; he would have to limit his time with Demyx from then on. Fortunately, he saw Kairi begin to open her mouth to say something, so his imaginative brain could deal with a round of blowing raspberries.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sora," she said, squeezing his hand. "I can promise you that."

She had no idea what she was doing to him.

"I can also speak for Riku too when I say that you'll always have us," Kairi continued. "We're a family, and that means that we stick together through thick and thick. The connection within our hearts will only grow stronger because of it."

That was his cue to step up and reply smoothly. He could do this.

"Looks like I'm missing one of those sentimental moments again, huh," came Riku's voice, cutting through the slither of bravado Sora attempted to muster.

Aaand that moment of opportunity was gone. Thanks a lot, Riku.

The last of his blush was beginning to fade when the heat increased tenfold from his neck to his cheeks. Once again, Riku was looking at Sora with mirth. If he wasn't trying to hold in his embarrassment from being suddenly tongue-tied and cowardly, Sora would have teased Riku with the fact that he wasn't sporting his daily, sullen Grinch look. He must have gotten the bauble hooks to finally work in his favor.

Kairi glanced over at Riku and released Sora's hands—apparently, it was much easier to hide disappointment than embarrassment—and bit her lip with a smile.

"You did," she said. "You're welcome to join us with some sentiments of your own."

Riku tucked the decoration box under his arm, a small smirk appearing on his face. "While that's a tempting offer…" he trailed off like he knew something, causing Sora to narrow his eyes skeptically. "I'll leave you guys to this one."

Kairi placed a hand on her hip, leaning her head in the same direction as her cocked hip. "And why is that, mister?"

Sora's eyes trailed in the upward direction that Riku's finger was pointing at. When he saw the plant hanging from the kitchen ceiling, directly between him and Kairi, he gulped, probably louder than he intended but didn't notice.

That was _ not _ there before. Who would put that there? _ Why would someone put that there_?

While Riku might have found the situation hilarious, Sora knew deep down that he wasn't the culprit. Kairi wouldn't have done it either, yet no one else had arrived for the sleepover. The holidays might have been magical for some but Sora's refusing to believe Ol' Saint Nick cared about his love life.

"Oh."

Kairi's light voice broke Sora out of his near-mental breakdown, and he met her eyes again. She was chewing the inside of her cheek, an action she did when she was contemplating something that was a big deal to her.

He couldn't help but wonder if the big deal was because she could actually _want _to kiss him.

"Yeah," Riku said. "If you two lovebirds need me, I'll be finishing the sitting room for the 'reindeer' games." The silver-haired teen moved away from the entryway and was gone in the blink of an eye.

As soon as he knew Riku was entirely out of sight—and hopefully ear-shot—Sora focused on Kairi again. Her wide, blue eyes bore into his, and he noticed she wasn't chewing the inside of her cheek anymore. She blinked once, and his anxious curiosity couldn't stand it.

"Kai—" was all Sora could voice before he was silenced by a pair of lips pressed against his.

If her fingers sent jolts through him, the velvety and warm touch of her lips ignited his body with a flame hotter than the North Star.

She pulled away a moment later, her eyes fluttering in surprise. She covered her mouth quickly and shook her head.

"I'm so sorry, Sora," Kairi pressed. "I shouldn't have done that."

Now _that _was his cue.

Sora responded with a swift head shake of his own and reached for her arms to pull her closer. He was still a gentleman, after all, so there was still enough space to be considered safe between them.

"It's okay, Kairi," he told her, giving her the most earnest look he could muster. "It makes it easier to do this."

Sora closed the distance by leaning his head forward and kissing Kairi gingerly. He didn't pull away from her, and by the grip of her hand on his pajama sleeve, Kairi had no intention of pulling away either.

He could safely say by the end of the night, after spending time with his friends and newly proclaimed girlfriend, he felt the holly, jolly glow of the holidays.

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Word Count: 2,067


End file.
